White Sox Fail to Sweep, Lose 6-2 to Red Sox

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White Sox Fail to Sweep, Lose 6-2 to Red Sox

By Mark Gonzales Tribune reporter10:27 p.m. CDT, May 22, 2013

In addition to skipping ace Chris Sale for at least one start, the Chicago White Sox will keep a close watch Wednesday night on left-hander Hector Santiago, who will be pitching on three days’ rest when he faces Boston.

“You’re keeping a close eye on everybody, but we don’t expect him to go seven or eight (innings),” Sox manager Robin Ventura said. “It will be a shorter outing for him just because he’s going on four days (since pitching Saturday) How you do that, we’ll see how the game goes.”

Santiago, who threw 80 pitches on Saturday and about 40 on Tuesday during a bullpen session, threw 107 pitches through the six innings but the Sox’s bullpen allowed four runs in the final two innings of a 6-1 loss that prevented them from earning their first series sweep.

Santiago needed 29 pitches to get through the first, but his ability to pitch deep saved most of the Sox’s bullpen. This could be Santiago’s last start, as the Sox are expected to activate left-hander John Danks soon, with Dylan Axelrod scheduled to start Sunday.

Santiago has a 2.30 ERA in five starts. He struck out a seians

David Ortiz took a one-handed swing that produced a bloop single into left field to score Boston’s two runs in the first.

The Sox scored in the bottom of the third when Tyler Flowers opened with an infield hit and eventually scored on a fielder’s choice by Alex Rios off Clay Buchholz.

Boston loaded the bases in the eighth off Brian Omogrosso before Will Middlebrooks hit a sacrifice fly off Nate Jones, and a passed ball by catcher Tyler Flowers allowed Mike Napoli to score an insurance run.

Jones was charged with two runs in the ninth on a single by Daniel Nava off embattled left-hander Donnie Veal.

Paul Konerko hit his first home run since April 28, a solo shot with two out in the ninth off Andrew Bailey. The homer was the 427th of Konerko’s career, tying him for 44th place with Mike Piazza.